Kelley responds to leak of past financial trouble

By Rebecca Starcevic
Enterprise staff writer

BROCKTON — An apparent smear tactic against mayoral candidate Gayle Kelley exposed bankruptcy filings from her previous marriage.

“Smear campaigns, bullying and threatening are politics as usual in Brockton, not real leadership. I will not be distracted by such attacks,” she said in an e-mail Monday in response to the release of the information.

Kelley filed for bankruptcy seven years ago during her previous marriage.

An anonymous e-mail sent Monday to all three mayoral candidates in Brockton and several media outlets outlined personal bankruptcy filings in February 2000, totaling $21,137 in credit card debt.

“My husband's dream was to have a restaurant in Manhattan. I supported him financially, spiritually and emotionally to go for it. He worked hard to keep the business solvent and along the way in his initial effort some business decisions did not work to his favor. By marriage, they also became my debts,” she said.

Kelley paid off loans, but filed for bankruptcy on some of the couple's joint credit-card debt. She declined to release his name to The Enterprise.

“I refuse to drag his name through this,” she said, but added that her ex-husband is now a successful restaurateur in New York City.

Her financial difficulties have been resolved, she said.

“How we handle the difficult chapters in our lives is what speaks to our characters,” she said.

Mayor James Harrington, who is running for re-election, did not return calls from The Enterprise.

Mayoral challenger Jass Stewart declined to comment on Kelley's bankruptcy filings.

“We have two weeks until the (Sept. 18) primary. Our campaign is focused on listening to the voters and reaching out to every voter in the city,” he said.